Month: April 2009

Yesterday, I had a chance to check out NamcoBandai’s 2009 lineup of upcoming games. There was a mixture of old and new franchises with some surprises along the way. Here’s a roundup of some of the titles that won’t knock your socks off but are good to note.

We Cheer 2
According to NamcoBandai, We Cheer was the best-selling cheerleading game out last year. That kind of statement makes one wonder just how many cheerleading games are on the market? I mean there can’t be that many, but apparently, this is the one that’s been flying off the shelves (relatively).

We Cheer 2, the sequel, supports up to four players and now adds male cheerleaders to the fray. (Yes, showing your team spirit is the epitome of manliness.) The gameplay looks unchanged. The game supports the use of two Wii remotes as pompons, and you pretty much have to move your arms in the same arcs and motions as the characters on the screen.

The game will offer more than 30 new songs. The two tunes available at the hands-on were Avril LaVigne’s Girlfriend and Toni Basil’s Hey Mickey.

In addition, players will be able to customize their characters and play the game in a workout mode. With all that arm moving and flailing, We Cheer 2 can get you tired quickly. Expect the game to be released later this year.

Use the force, Leia! Carrie Fisher’s tour-de-farce “Wishful Drinking,” which debuted atBerkeley Rep last year before warping across the country spewing snark is finally headed to the Great White Way (which in some circles qualifies as the dark side, no?) this fall. Rep honcho Tony Taccone directs this kitschapalooza red-carpet tell-all in the manner of “Postcards from the Edge,” which opens at Studio 54 in October. This one woman wisecrack machine plunges us into the maelstrom of life as the daughter of celebs (Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, natch), ex-wife of pop stars and, of course, Princess Leia, the it-chick of the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Fisher unleashes her light-saber sharp wit on everything from coping with booze, pills and depression, wedding (and later shedding) Paul Simon and coming to terms with that iconic cinnabun hairdo. Yikes! Oh, and did we mention the Princess Leia sex doll? The one with the metallic bikini? Nuff said. If you spent way, way too much playing with your “Stars Wars” action figures as a child (it’s not just me, right?) then you won’t want to miss this theatrical guilty pleasure. And if you don’t know Yoda from Yogi Berra, why are you even wasting time reading this?!?

I’m a huge Ace Attorney fan. The Nintendo DS titles bring me back to the days of the old Sierra and LucasArts adventure games. There’s something about these text-heavy adventures that works for me in a way that shooters don’t. They have interesting plots and characters. They’re entertaining in a more lasting way.

When it comes to the series, I was enamored with Phoenix Wright trilogy. I thought that the Apollo Justice storyline was decent. But frankly, I was fascinated with Edgeworth as a character. I’m looking forward to seeing Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth when it hits shelves this winter.

Sometimes it pays to read fiscal reports. They may be a little dry with numbers that could be calculus for all that I care, but if you scan the document, you do find tidbits of information. Take this Ubisoft report for exampe. It says the 2009-10 lineup will include the following flagship titles: Assassin’s Creed 2, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction, Rabbids Go Home, Red Steel 2, Ghost Recon 4 (Hell yeah) and Dawn of Discovery.

Of the four licensed projects: James Cameron’s Avatar, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs sound interesting. (Arthur and the Invisibles, eh, not so much.)

Lastly, I’m excited for two of the three new Ubisoft IPs: I’m hoping that R.U.S.E. is better than End War. But I’m really excited for I am Alive. I wonder what Wii sports game they’ll be announcing.

When word came down that the five “American Idol” finalists would be taking on songs made famous by the Rat Pack, it prompted a cynical sneer. How would these young whipper-snappers ever be able to channel the style and swagger of Frank, Dean, Sammy and the crew? But damn if Kris Allen — clad in suit and tie and performing a velvety-smooth rendition of “The Way You Look Tonight” — didn’t have me feeling like I was kicking back at the Sands in Vegas with a glass of scotch in my hand and a dreamy cloud of smoke wafting through the room. The increasingly likable Kris, dubbed an “Idol game-changer” this monring by USA Today, set the tone for a truly enjoyable night of consistently remarkable retro standards capped off by Adam Lambert’s flashy “Feeling Good.” Who could have expected that? … And who could have expected Jamie Foxx to be one of the best guest mentors of the season? (He doesn’t exactly conjure up images of the Rat Pack). The actor-singer-comedian clearly was feeling it. Passionately prodding his charges, he brought out the best in most of them. It was almost enough to make me forgive him for subjecting us to “Blame It” — one of the most lame and annoying songs I’ve heard in years.

COLLEEN GONZALEZ: I was worried about tonight’s genre, but these kids kicked booty! What a classy night. As a Mom, it was great to see all my Idol’s dressed up and looking sharp. I wanted to pinch all their cheeks.

I have to say that I was a little disappointed in Adam. Sure, vocally it was perfect, but I only wish he would have put a lid on it and stayed more true to the genre. It was too much vocal acrobatics and not enough hipster jive.

But during Kris’ performance, I melted like butter! Talk about bringing your “A” game! Kris and Allison Iraheta started the night with a one-two punch. Don’t count either of these kids out just yet. What fantastic performances by both of them. Kris looked utterly adorable, and his voice was smooth as he hit the right notes everywhere! Allison’s raspy “Somewhere To Watch Over Me,” was so gut wrenchingly tender, I felt it all over.

Danny Gokey looked sharp and cool and brought mad vocals tonight. I’m glad all the judges agreed that he had all cylinders working. Matt Giraud managed to hit the big note, but the rest of the song sounded off. I actually thought Matt would do well tonight, and I don’t know what Simon heard, but he’ll regret those comments when he hears the playback. Bye Matt!

ALTHEA BATTLE: Danny simply blew me away! He is a real singer and he proved he just may have this competition under his belt! I’ve been rooting for him since Day 1, but now I’m sure he’s back on top! Allison sung lovely, but she is not standing out in the crowd. I love Jamie Foxx, and he was a great asset in helping the contestants with advice. His expertise shined through during each performance.

Meanwhile, Adam is the ultimate contestant! He stole the show again, and is constantly proving his star quality! Adam is here to win! Matt and Kris need to step their game up or else it’s the boot for them. Allison shouldn’t be in the bottom, but will have to see if America can look beyond her quirky personality, and acknowledge she is one of the best SINGERS in this competition this season!

CARRIE HULTS: Rat Pack? Who the heck are they? I have no clue, but that doesn’t matter because everyone sang very well.

The Bottom 2 tomorrow will be Kris and Matt, but Matt will go home. Kris will have to choose the right song next week if he wants to stay longer. Kris sounds best when he sings upbeat songs. The second part of “The Way You Look Tonight” was better than the first, because it was a faster tempo. I agree with Randy about Matt. He was really pitchy and flat. Simon was wrong about him having a great performance; I didn’t like it at all.

The Top 3 will be Allison, Adam, and Danny. Allison looked and sounded beautiful. Her outfit was soft, and her voice flowed perfectly and wasn’t pitchy at all. She controlled the song, it didn’t control her. As usual, Adam sang fantastically but was overly dramatic. His performance was borderline creepy, though. The red lights and the freaky eyes gave me the heebie-jeebies. Danny was great, as always. He may always be the same, but why mess with perfection? He had a cool swagger tonight too, and it was the most creative performance he’s had so far.

TOM HART: Five incredible talents were showcased tonight! I want to say that this is a five-horse race running stride-for-stride straight to the wire only to be decided in a photo finish … but I can’t. Adam continues to captivate with an other-worldly performance that began with his first step down the staircase and ended with a seemingly never-ending sustained note of vocal ecstasy!

Adam’s unparalleled ability to not only superbly perform but also uniquely entertain week after week cements his place in the finals. I’ll say it again … if given a Las Vegas style venue of his own, Adam could play to a sold-out audience every night of the week.

EDDIE ESTRADA: From the get-go, I knew tonight was going to be a slow night. The Rat Pack is famous for their slow crooning tunes. Most of the performers tonight followed in their footsteps while others didn’t do as hot. Tonight I am going to start with Adam. He has NO competition whatsoever right now. He kills it every single week! He is already a superstar in my book. Danny? … yawn. … You changed from what is the usual for you, and it didn’t work. You can’t win ’em all buddy.

Allison’s performance tonight was beautiful. I loved it! Hopefully this performance will keep her from going home. Matt had another lackluster performance. GOODBYE! (finally). Finally, Kris was my favorite of the night and of the competition right now (besides Adam of course). He just keeps getting better. An amazing song performed by a truly amazing singer. Keep it up like this Kris, and hopefully we will see you in the finals.

(NOTE: Panelist Karen Long is undergoing surgery for complications stemming from a recent injury. Our best wishes are with Karen and we hope to get her back with us soon).

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick at the premiere of “Wonderful World” during the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center on Monday, also in New York City.

Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman are seen in a kissing scene on the set of “The Baster”, Monday in New York.

Cast members Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Emma Stone, Anne Archer, and Michael Douglas at the Los Angeles premiere of “Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past” at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Monday in Hollywood.

According to Steve Desilets, lead designer forDante’s Inferno, an Electronic Arts survey found that 83 percent of people have heard about the first part of Dante Alighieri Divine Comedy. It’s a recognizable work in the Western canon, yet strangely enough, I’m willing to bet that fewer people have actually read it.

People learn about the nine circles of hell and the hero’s epic journey through cultural osmosis. It’s like knowing about David and Goliath without actually reading the Bible passages. For me, I’ve had a passing knowledge of the Dante’s Inferno. I generally know what it’s about, but I have never read the text itself. I never delved into the nitty gritty of the text, but now, I have the chance with EA Redwood Shore’s latest project.

What surprised me the most about this video game translation of the epic poem is how gnarly the text is and how the team at EA Redwood Shores interprets the author’s vision.

“Obviously, we have to change a couple of verbs because watch and listen aren’t exciting to play,” said Desilets. “Hack, maim, torture those are basically your verbs, but the setting is loyal as we can actually be to the poem.”

The level I played puts Dante on the Charon’s boat on his way to the underworld. But in this case, the team imagines Charon as being the actual ship. Dante ride’s the ferryman’s back and battles demons and other creatures in the first part of the level.

First thoughts on hearing Dead Space Extraction was coming out on the Wii: Awesome. Is it going to get the Resident Evil 4 treatment? A buddy of mine told me the Wii remote and nunchuk was excellent for a third-person. Feeling of excitement: High.

Second thoughts after finding out Dead Space Extraction was essentially a rail shooter: Ah ok, that could be cool. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles was all right and all. Feeling of excitement. Meh.

Third thoughts after seeing a demo of Dead Space Extraction: It’s better than I expected. The team has concentrated on the graphics, trying to make this Wii game look as good and as immersive as the original. EA Redwood Shores did bring in the assets and style of previous game. It looks like Dead Space, the only thing is that you’re on a “guided first-person experience.” Feeling of excitement: Higher.

I was out of commission this past weekend when the esteemed Bea Arthur died at the age of 86. Needless to say, when I finally did hear the sad news, it immediately conjured up warm memories of Arthur starring in “Maude” and “The Golden Girls,” two sitcoms that left a big mark on prime time.

But I admire what a blogger with TV Week did. He went beyond the nostalgic vibes and detailed five lessons that television executives of today should learn from Arthur’s distinguished career — lessons that include showing respect to older stars and developing shows with some political courage (which no one seems to do anymore).

Yesterday, immediately after the seventh round, EA Sports Community Manager Will Kinsler and stat guru Donny Moore posted a spreadsheet of the Madden NFL 10 ratings for nearly all the draftees in the 2009 NFL Draft.

The spreadsheet is great, and my thanks to them for getting it out there, but it’s kinda hard to use. It’s really more for Madden geeks who want to see how the rookies grade out than the fan who’s just curious how good his team is going to be. Luckily for you, I’ve got a way to put it into a searchable database. Like the one after the jump in this post.

This is an incomplete list so far, some of the more obscure picks don’t appear, but Moore says all drafted players will be in the game so no need to worry. Of course that means only two Raiders picks are in the DB at the moment…

So just search for your favorite player, team or college after the jump to get a list of picks with their vitals and OVR. If you want their full stats click on their last name. And be sure to thank @Donny_Moore and @raczilla for releasing the info.